Complaint Review: Power eCommerce

I owned an Ink and Toner business and found Power eCommerce on the web.  After evaluating three e-commerce solutions, I chose Power eCommerce based on pricing, feature set and the appearance of a company responsive to customer needs.

My experience was frustrating.  Besides never delivering a payment API which was promised several times (see chronology of communications), Gary Katz is one of the most UNPROFESSIONAL person I have come across in over 30 years in business. Gary is an emotional, combative, win at all costs businessman.  I recommend not doing busienss with him.   

When I canceled the software service due to non performance, Gary would not refund my payments.  He insisted a workaround which would expose customer credit card information to my employees was acceptable, despite promising the API required by my Merchant Services vendor would be delivered.

I used my credit card dispute process and was refunded past charges, despite Gary's vendor protest.  Here are the major points I presented in my dispute case:

The vendor’s web site included support of the Network Merchants (NMI) payment gateway for automated credit card processing when I first engaged in October 2015. 

The API was found not to be “enabled” and several implementation dates were promised and missed.  Apologies for delays were issued and a solution was proposed by the vendor which is NOT SECURE, as manual entry of customer credit card information is required. 

This credit card dispute should be decided in my favor because the attached documentation shows a pattern of changing time commitments made by Power Ecommerce and then ultimately stating a non secure workaround solution is an acceptable rationale for charging for promised services which were never delivered in their software application. 

Chronology of events:

• I learned of Power Ecommerce from their web site in October 2015.
  • The Merchant Services company used for my business requires the Network Merchants (NMI) payment gateway which was shown as a supported Payment Gateway
    • Screen shot is attached a documentation of claimed support in the Power Ecommerce solution
• 12/29/15 – the first time I requested help with the Payment Gateway
  • I could not find detail on the fields which needed input to setup the gateway

• 3/29/16 – XXXXXX Merchant Services spoke to Power Ecommerce and was told the API would be implemented in 4 days
  • Copy of the email is attached
• 4/7/16 – email from Gary Katz at Power Ecommerce requesting my account credentials to test the NMI gateway
  • THIS IS THE CRITICAL POINT OF MY DISPUTE – COMMITMENT WAS MADE FOR THE NMI PAYMENT GATEWAY
    • Power Ecommerce later states they will not implement the gateway, all the while I am paying a monthly fee for the solution
• 4/27/16 – I sent an email to Power Ecommerce requesting a status on the payment gateway. XXXXXX Merchant Services stated
  • “The gateway operates with Network Merchants (NMI). Last we discussed, your developer was supposed to be adding NMI support to that drop down menu.”
• 5/5/16 – Power Ecommerce states there will not be a new API added until they update the Admin portion of their application. 
  • Power Ecommerce suggests using a “Virtual Terminal” which means hand entering an online customer’s credit card information for processing. 
    • THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE – A SECURITY RISK IS ESTABLISHED WITH MANUAL ENTRY BY EMPLOYEES OF MY BUSIENSS.  I WAS PROMISED A SEAMLESS PROCESS WITH NO CUSTOMER CREDIT CARD INFORMATION KNOWN TO ANY PERSON
• 5/6/16 – Power Ecommerce states the API was promised
  • Copy of the email is attached
• 6/6/16 – Power Ecommerce state the API will be ready after June 15^th
  • Copy of email is attached 
• 6/24/16 – Notice the business has been sold and request to place the account on hold or CANCEL THE ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY WITH NO FURTHER PAYMENTS
  • Copy of email is attached

I lost time implementing an eCommerce solution using Power e-Commerce.  I also experienced poor customer service from Gary Katz.